Marika's Domain

Marika’s Domain is the region of the Northeast dominated by the Fair Folk noble known as Marika Ruler of Rivers and Swamps. It is officially defined as occupying the ground beneath southwestern Halta, bordered to the southwest by Lake Sanazala, to the west by the Blackwater River, and to the south by the River of Fallen Leaves. Sluluru's Domain borders it to the Northeast. The terrain of the Domain is varied, including rivers, deciduous forests, open meadows, swamps, and coniferous forests, and the Fae do not dominate the entire claim: while the Haltans acknowledge their rights beneath the conifers, the Linowan spread border fort and Ironbush alike to keep the Fair Folk from encroaching too deeply.

While their advances are more contained than they might like, the Fae beholden to Marika regularly make raids into Linowan territory, and when the Linowan seek to reach Halta it is through these Fae that they must go. The Fae hold to the letter of the Treaty of High Order and Wild Roots, not attempting to climb the trees in order to reach the Haltans, but they are not close allies: only in Haltan territory will the Fae fight alongside the Haltans, and Marika’s Fae hunt any Haltan who falls to the ground with great glee.

Marika, Water Witch, Ruler of Rivers and Swamps herself holds to the Treaty for much the same reason as a Harborhead rancher feeds his cattle: those who are fat and content are both of good flavour and easy to slaughter. Some day, Marika will gain a decisive advantage, and on that day the Treaty will be dissolved as the Fair Folk of southwestern Halta hungrily ascend the trunks. Marika also has separate arrangements with the Guild and the god Vata, though the details of such treaties remain concealed.